March 3rd, 2007
A lot of people don't know it, but getting rid of lice is more complicated than it may seem, especially if we come to understand that there is more than one variety of lice that infests the human body. There are three types of lice, in fact, that a person can become infested with: head lice, body lice, and public lice. Head, shoulders, knees, and toes. Knees and toes.
Head lice are perhaps the most common form of lice in humans, infecting thousands of school children each year. Whereas pubic lice come in a close second, and body lice a distant third. Although body lice are not as common as either pubic lice or head lice, in my opinion, the possibility of a body lice infestation shouldn't be ruled out. Below I will discuss the three types of lice, two non-chemical ways to prevent them or reduce their populations, and then move on to insecticidal solutions in the final segment.
Getting rid of lice
To get rid of head lice (Pediculus capitis) mechanical removal with a nit comb is the first step recommended by public health officials. You should only use pyrethoids or insecticides if you can absolutely confirm a lice infestation, and then repeat the treatment in 10 days to get any eggs that haven't hatched because permethrin and pyrethoids don't kill the eggs. The effectiveness of a pyrethoid treatment can be increased by complementing the shampoo treatment with a thorough nit combing procedure. Wash bedding, hats, and clothes in hot water and dry with heat.
To get rid of body lice (Pediculus humanus) one should wash their clothes in hot water and dry their clothes at a high temperature. Body lice are rare in the U.S., but infestations do occur (usually among individuals who do not change clothes often). Body lice lay their eggs and hide in the seams of your clothing. So, you should do your laundry in hot water to kill both the lice and their eggs. You should also dry your clothes in a hot dryer and iron anything that can be ironed. Any clothes or articles that cannot be washed should be frozen for a period of no less than 3 days. Pyrethroids and permethrins are not usually prescribed for a body lice infestation because body lice do not reside on the skin, usually.
To get rid of pubic lice (Pthirus pubis) mechanical removal with a comb or some other utensil is recommended. Problems with pubic lice begin when a person has particularly dense pubic hair or cannot see clearly their genitalia. Then it is, perhaps, in the interest of the person suffering from crabs to seek medical help, usually in the form of a pyrethroid or permethrine shampoo or cream treatment. As is the case with head lice, pyrethroid and permethrine treatments should be applied twice: once to get rid of the initial infestation and again two weeks later to kill any newly hatched nymphs. Clothes and bedding should be washed in hot water and dried in a hot dryer.
Mechanical removal of lice is always the preferred treatment initially because insecticides are bad for your health. Granted, it may take hours, even days to complete the job of grooming the infested person, but it is worth the time. Often times dandruff or another random bug caught in the hair is misdiagnosed as a lice infestation. Using a nit comb, a bright light, and a magnifying glass may in fact reveal that your child or patient is not infested with head lice but suffering from another affliction.
Washing clothes, hats, and bedding in hot water to get rid of lice is standard protocol with almost every lice infestation. This is particularly true of body lice, since body lice and their eggs are rarely found on a person's body. Heat has been found to be one of the most effective ways to kill head lice, body lice, and pubic lice (almost all forms of lice) because they are particularly susceptible to extreme fluctuations in temperature. In fact, a good way to follow up a pyrethroid or permethrine shampoo treatment is to dry the hair with a blow dryer set to high heat.
Killing Lice with Lousing Insecticides
A good deal of research done on lice concludes that there is a small contingent of lice that are not susceptible to pyrethroids or permethrines. This doesn't mean that all lice or many lice are insusceptible; it simply means that the possibility exists that a lice infestation cannot be treated with the more typical brand name lousing products like Rid or Nix. In some cases where the lice seem to persist over the course of two or more treatments, a physician will attempt to kill the lice with an even stronger solution of pyrethroids or permethrines. This is inadvisable. I would suggest moving to another lousing insecticide like lindane or malathion, two pediculicides suggested by the Harvard School of Public Health—a credible source, I imagine. So, use Nix or Rid if it works. If it doesn't work after the second try, then you should get your doctor to prescribe a non-pyrethroid or permethrine medication.
